If you have an E&E kit what do you have in there and what situations do you forsee yourself possibly needing it for. What is your setup, how do you carry it and why did you choose it?

So I bought another Maxpedition pouch and decided to turn it into a "small of the back" pouch with it's own waist strap. The idea is this is put over the tank top "wife beater" type undershirt and then something is worn over that which conceals the pouch at your back. This is great for winter seasons but not so great for warmer ones as it is harder to conceal. The reason I put it on it's own waist strap is two fold, 1. it doesn't weigh down my pants when I want to put them on/take them off and 2. it takes a lot less time putting it on/taking it off. So as it is more convenient it is more likely to go with me as I can be lazy sometimes.

Now call me paranoid or just obsessed if you want but I have pouches and pockets and kits for everything. I am always looking for new and interesting ways to carry stuff depending on what I might be doing. This kit is small enough and light enough to be pretty hassle free and really doesn't get in the way of me doing anything. The only time it is inconvenient is when I might want to put on a backpack and strap in. The pouch can be repositioned to the side of the waist however which keeps everything comfortable.

Now this kit isn't exactly an E&E pouch per se but I was thinking the setup would be pretty well suited for that application. What I've got in there covers most of the basics and I consider it part of my EDC. Below is a link to where I bought the pouch however when it came in I found it had two inner compartments and two large velcro straps. This cut down on the useable internal space so I turned the pouch inside out and very carefully cut the compartments away. Afterward I found the space much improved, while this makes the bags contents prone to shifting I am not bothered by this. Despite the amount of gear I've packed inside the pouch is capable of expanding further if I decided to add a few more items and so far it only weighs a few pounds. When wearing it around during the day I forget it is even there.

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=7&idproduct=394

Ok on to the contents, here is what I've packed into this 8" x 4" x 1.5" pouch:

$200
spare car/house keys
25' paracord
multi tool
large lighter, unused
mini prybar, custom made
automatic center punch
medical shears
2, 3"x3" bandages
neosporin
benadryl
motrin
water purification tablets
6 utility razor blades
knife sharpener
small compass
signal mirror
mini headlamp and extra batts
3 needles of different size and 150' thread
standard size emergency blanket
high decibel whistle

First one needs to consider expected terrain and weather.
Then why and what are you E&E'ing from or for.
How many are you responsible for and what training does everyone have.
What "comfort level" are they going to be needing.
I think one could do well by adding the AMK/DR PSP and an AMK Heatsheets or Bivy. as a start. I would also consider adding this military survival kit if space and finances allow. I have used all of these items and REALLY USED the military kit once in 1989. A water bottle might be nice also. Helps to have something other than the bag in the military kit to purify/drink from.

Just a start. I am helping two families establish themselves in the BOB world. They are light years apart in thinking, finances and "comfort level" so their bags differ accordingly.
Good Luck

I would add fire tender, duct tape, quart size and gallon size ziplock bags. A notepad and permanent marker.

Even with that, your kit is not really big enough to need a maxipedition for every day carry. You could easily put the vast majority of your kit in a very small pouch and carry the rest in a smaller package.

Huh, I always figured that I'd want to be found. What are you guys doing out there???

Depends. One geologist I've worked with was arrested by the Nicaraguan secret police for being a spy (he's not). Of course, had he been carrying an E&E kit he might have been executed.

Sometimes you just can't win.

Odd that you mention that. Sometimes I wonder if we aren't putting on a post-graduate course on how to evade law enforcement to folks who's internet (and room & board for that matter) are being paid for with tax dollars.

When new folks start wondering how to evade and not be found, a small red flag goes up in my mind.

Not meant to this post itself, just in general.

Well I think there is definitely something about 'being too smart by half." I also thought that the intent of this thread was not so much E&E but EDC. Maybe I didn't read closely enough.

I was going to mention that a center punch is not necessarily an appropriate EDC item but the concept was E&E. Again I wouldn't carry one for that either, similar to carrying a lock pick set. Regardless how 90% of our kit looks to a LEO, a lock pick kit puts off a whole lot of alarms to them.

When it comes down to it, if its a bad situation and I'm trying to get out of something or into something, I am not worried if I break a door jamb with my foot or throw something through a window.

Thanks Izzy some good things to consider, motrin works alright for me and I have no heart conditions but I'll try aleve next time I need something and see how it works for me. The poncho is a good idea, I'll see if I can fit one in there.

Desperado this kit isn't exactly an E&E for me but could be used as one. I only have to plan for myself so that helps to simplify things. I don't think I'll be buying one of those military kits you listed, I have most of those items already so it would be too redundant.

Comms the tinder is a good idea and I wrapped several feet of duck tape around the lighter already. This pouch is not like a normal versipack, it is only 8" x 4" x 1.5" and disappears underneath clothes when worn at the small of the back.

Yelp, prime example of why one should never travel to Nicaragua unless they have no other choice.

Comms the center punch is for getting ones self out if trapped in a car. Of course if the situation is dire you won't have too much time to dig in the kit and get it out. However I feel it is a useful tool like the multi and mini prybar. I make knives and tools for a living so I carry more in the way of tools than most people.

I should state again that this is not an E&E kit but I believe the way I have it set up this would work well as one. This is for me what one might call a last ditch kit. If I am seperated from/forget my EDC bag then I at least have this and what I carry in my pockets.

Well, being just south of the DMZ, I can't say this hasn't occurred to me. However, after doing a little bit of research I'm coming to the conclusion that there's no such thing as an escape kit. At least not one you can take with you. An escape kit has to be compiled after you're already captured. Everything else will have been taken from you during the initial and subsequent searches. The best thing you can do is memorize maps of the area you'll be traveling in. Navigating with out maps is nearly impossible and so you need to either be very familiar with the area or be able to sketch out a map for your self. For evasion, a normal survival kit is perfectly suitable, with the addition of camouflage aids.

However, I do not carry either an escape or evasion kit of any sort. I do have my EDC, and I carry an assault pack with cold weather clothing, signal gear, navigational aids and a brew kit when I'm in the field. This is in case of vehicle break down or separation from my unit during peace time. As part of my EDC I also carry a notebook/journal that I habitually sketch maps in. More then once this has been the map I've relied on to keep from getting lost, both in cities and in the field.

I started it as a way to locate entries in my field notebook for geology classes and it carried over into the rest of my life. Even a very rough map is useful as long as it has a north seeking arrow and includes major terrain features. Mine have ranged from precisely scaled down copies of maps with simplified topography to rough not-to-scale drawings showing road intersections. Both have come in handy.

Thread Hijacking in progress. . . . . . sorry.

AROTC,
What service are you in? Beyond that what is your branch?

I have a few suggestions for E&E if you want them.